War of Will sharp in work, gets green light for Jim Dandy Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Mark Casse wants to run Preakness winner War of Will in the Jim Dandy. But he only wants to run him if War of Will concurs.
Early Saturday morning, War of Will gave his stamp of approval on Casse’s plan with a strong five-furlong workout in 1:00.43 under jockey Tyler Gaffalione over Saratoga main’s track. Afterward, Casse said War of Will’s next start will be the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes here on July 27, the local steppingstone to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 24.
“I’m a running kind of guy,” Casse said. “I just wanted him to say he wanted to do it. His energy level’s really good. Tyler said he was wanting to do it today.”
War of Will, working shortly before 6 a.m., breezed in company with Strike Silver, last year’s Sanford Stakes runner-up who is pointing to the Grade 2 Amsterdam on July 28. War of Will started just off the flank of Strike Silver and was a length back after an opening eighth in 12.61 seconds. He joined up with Strike Silver after a quarter in 24.83.
Gaffalione barely moved on War of Will as he got his final three furlongs in 35.60 seconds. He continued out six furlongs in 1:13.36 and seven furlongs in 1:27.47.
“Tyler said he got over it really well, came back and wasn’t overly tired,” Casse said. “I don’t know what else he could do.”
War of Will is the only horse who ran in all three Triple Crown races. He finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby after being impeded by Maximum Security and was elevated to seventh after Maximum Security was disqualified from first. War of Will came back to win the Preakness before finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes.
“I just don’t think he handled the track at all, and I hate saying that,” Casse said. “Everybody runs over the same track, but some like hard turf, some like soft turf; some horses just can’t handle that track.”
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War of Will has had three workouts since the Belmont. He will have one more next weekend before the Jim Dandy.
Three other horses pointing to the Jim Dandy also breezed Saturday. Tacitus, the Belmont Stakes runner-up, went five furlongs in 1:01.19. Working with Grade 1 Woodward winner Yoshida, Tacitus began the move a length in front and went his first three furlongs in 36.12 and his last quarter in 25.07. Yoshida, pointing to the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 3, was credited with a five-furlong time of 1:00.99.
“I didn’t want them head-and-head,” trainer Bill Mott said. “We don’t want them head-and-head in a race, I guess we don’t want them head-and-head in the morning. They both went good, nice work.”
Tax, fourth in the Belmont, worked a half-mile in 49.94 seconds. Working by himself, Tax went the first quarter in 25.41 and the last quarter in 24.53. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.65.
“I was looking to go easy,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “He went fast last week. I couldn’t be happier. He looks better than he’s ever looked. He’s just blossoming.”
Global Campaign, the winner of the Peter Pan on May 11, worked a half-mile in 49.04 seconds over the Oklahoma training track. Global Campaign has been battling a quarter crack that he had repatched on Friday night, according to trainer Stanley Hough.
Hough wants to work Global Campaign again next week before committing to the Jim Dandy.
“He missed some time, but it’s spotty time,” Hough said. “We worked on that foot, did some training in between. I was wanting to run him in the Ohio Derby, but he wasn’t ready.”
King for a Day, who defeated Maximum Security in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park last month, worked a half-mile in 48.23 with a strong gallop-out and is most likely headed to next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park, according to trainer Todd Pletcher.
Code of Honor, the winner of the Dwyer at Belmont on July 6, will likely have a workout next weekend, after which trainer Shug McGaughey will decide whether to run him in the Jim Dandy or train up to the Travers.
